Astell&Kern KANN Ultra DAP Music Player Review
The Powerhouse DAP Lineup Gets More Power!
The KANN digital audio player series is adored by audiophiles all over the world for its performance which focuses on ultra-high output and clear sound. The KANN Ultra, the 5th product in the KANN series, continues the success of the KANN series by providing the highest output of any Astell&Kern player, the inclusion of Triple Output Sound, and an optimized processor and UI/UX to make it even easier to enjoy clear sound performance. With four Gain Modes that provide up to 16Vrms of desktop Hi-Fi level output and sound, and ES9039MPRO Dual DAC chips, KANN Ultra perfectly powers many of today's headphones with high resolution. A separate Pre/Line Out allows users to enjoy the sound with a variety of different devices. Let's find out more.
Astell&Kern KANN Ultra DAP Music Player Review Video
PROS
Amazing flagship ES9039MPRO DAC - Low-end Extension, transparency
Larger screen, All of the standard AK Features
CONS
Larger DAP, but still portable (happy trade-off for more power)
Design
The big thing to talk about with the design is the re-design of the volume control/scroll wheel. You can now adjust it with your thumb while you hold the music player in the same hand. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it does change the experience from every other Astell&Kern music player that I've held before. with the volume wheel adjustment perpendicular to the DAP you have to use the other hand to grasp it to adjust the volume. Being able to see the full circle of the volume adjustment on the back of the DAP is a nice touch - the CNC milling and groove work on the knob is a work of art and lovely to look at. The new standard for Astell&Kern DAPs is the LED ring around the volume knob to give you additional information on the sample rate of the music you're listening to.
On the top of the music player, you'll find four ports - a 3.5mm unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced port for pre/line-out, and the 3.5mm unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs. You'll also find the power button next to those. On the left-hand side of the device are three buttons - track skip backward, track skip forward, and play/pause. On the bottom of the KANN Ultra is the USB-C port for charging and USB audio out along with a single micro SD card slot for expandable external storage. On the right-hand side is the volume knob and LED ring for additional track playback information.
Sound
Testing with the KANN Ultra
For my testing setup, I paired the KANN Ultra with both the Dan Clark Stealth and Expanse with a Black Dragon Premium Cable. Both headphones are pretty hard to drive for most portable setups and needless to say the Ultra handled both with ease. There are four gain modes that we'll get into in a bit, but I had plenty of headroom for these even in the High Gain stage - note that it goes up to an Ultra gain stage above that if needed.
The KANN Ultra is equipped with the new ES9039MPRO DAC in a dual configuration. The new MPRO variant of the PRO chip includes a built-in stereo MQA renderer and eliminates the need for complicated DAC filter tuning. It's also future-proof with the ability to playback up to PCM 768 and DSD 1024. The 9039MPRO has even more advanced modulation than the existing flagship DAC to reduce power consumption, noise, and distortion for better audio performance. It would be one thing if the KANN Ultra was packing just one of these new flagship DAC chips, but it has two, and the sonic benefits from the design are nothing short of superb.
The clarity and detail of the chipset stand out with a lot of different genres, but combined with the output of the KANN Ultra and you have a DAP that can go toe-to-toe with some home systems out there. There's a weight to the sound that only a KANN DAP can produce - heft in the bottom end, never bloated-sounding - no-undefined and muddy low end, but rather impactful, precise, and lots of extension. I loved Classical and Jazz with this setup personally - with both the open and closed-back Dan Clark headphones. There is great expressiveness and nuance throughout the performances - a rich-sounding and dynamic listening experience - from the quietest parts to the most bombastic - the parts that get your adrenaline going. This combo's not just good for Classical and Jazz though - Rock, Pop, even Grunge and Metal sound great with this portable setup. You can vary up the headphones and cables for more sonic options too - headphones and cables have individual sound signatures so the options are endless based on what kind of music you like. If you want to use the KANN Ultra as a music source in your home system, we recommend connecting it to a DAC via a Silver Dragon USB Cable - since it does USB Audio out. Keep reading below to get to the Dragon Cable recommendations section where we talk more about what upgrading to a Dragon Cable can do to the sound and performance of the KANN Ultra. Bottom line is that the new flagship DAC is superb, but the real star of the show is the power. The KANN Ultra is the DAP for your hard-to-drive planar magnetics all the way.
I'll make a quick note about wireless and Bluetooth. There is some confusing among the specifications that the Ultra was only equipped with BT 4.2. It is in fact equipped with Bluetooth 5.3. Sure, it's updated, but if you're planning on using the KANN Ultra with your favorite wireless headphones then you're missing the entire point of the DAP. It's like buying a Ferrari and keeping it in your garage to look at. Put that horsepower to good use. That's what it's designed to do.
by Miklos Rozsa
by blink-182
by Brendan Angelides
by Dan Wilson
Features
DAPs are great at handling all the audio files and formats out there, including flac and wav. Codecs like AAC. LDAC, all your favorite music files, and music apps are available on one device. Your DAP is now your MP3 player/media player on steroids. Audiobooks, FM radio, Spotify, any streaming service, all the best music available to you under one roof. With expandable storage, the KANN Ultra is your perfect one-stop shop for everything you listen to. There's also a larger battery, upgrading from a 5,600 mAh battery to 8,400 - but you'll get about an hour or two fewer on average in battery life and playback time due to the upgraded components and power. Maxing out at 11 hours is absolutely great given the upgrades, everything that's under the hood, and overall performance. Next Gen Octa-core processors, 4 different gain levels, 7 different DAC filters, Digital Audio Remaster, or DAR, tech returns with upsampling possibilities, Crossfeed, Bluetooth, Roon Arc, AK File Drop, BT Sink, equalizer, wi-fi, and all the other Astell&Kern accouterments - and you have another capable and feature-rich high-end music player from Astell&Kern.
Features:
- Triple Output Mode Featuring Separately Configured Circuit and Amplifier Designs
- HEADPHONE OUT / PRE-OUT / LINE OUT
- Next-generation Octa-Core processors with significant high-performance improvements
- Supports 4 preset gain settings with ultra-high output up to 16Vrms (Headphone Out)
- Equipped with ESS ES9039MPRO Dual DACs
- Features Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) technology
- Supports playback up to 32bit/768kHz, Native DSD512
- Features Astell&Kern's unique TERATON ALPHA technology
- Battery 8,400 mAh (up to 11 hours of playback)
Comparisons
The largest departure here with the new model is the size of the music player itself. The Ultra upsizes the DAP from a 4.1-inch screen to a 5.5-inch. The real estate is noticeable and similarly appreciated. The larger size doesn't make the Ultra music player any less portable, because Astell&Kern always does a terrific job with keeping the shape of the DAP ergonomic and lightweight with the materials they choose. The KANN Ultra also features the latest Crimson UI/UX, a sleek and modern-looking interface with a dark and red accented design. It helps the Ultra feel new and updated compared to the older Astell&Kern front-end designs.
Dragon Cables
Our cables bring out more of what you love in your music and audio gear. If you love your headphones but wish they had a bit more top-end sparkle - a Silver Dragon headphone cable would be a great option. If your USB cables keep dying - as many stock cables do - then check out our quality USB cables. We say time and time again that materials matter, and our cables and custom geometries actually help to bring out those desired properties in your gear and music. We make tons of custom options for our customers so that you can get the right cable for your exact needs. If you have any questions feel free to contact us and we'll be more than happy to help.
Verdict
The differentiator here is not just the increased output however, but the addition of the pre and line-outs. This offers the user lots more options with how they want to integrate the music player into their system, either portable, small-form desktop, or even full-blown desktop compatibility as a standalone music source. You're not limited to simply a headphone setup on the go. Options. Astell&Kern has always been stellar about giving the listener options with how and where they want to listen to their music, and for that, we thank you.
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